OutDoor 2015 – Brandwave to host panel discussion.

OutDoor 2015 is just around the corner and we’re extremely excited to be heading out to Friedrichshafen again this year. It’s always a great opportunity to catch up with friends, network as an industry, meet new brands and of course it’s a prime opportunity to check out all of the latest trends.

Image Credit: OutDoor 2014

At this year’s show, we will also be hosting the OutDoor panel discussion in association with Outdoor Conferences and the European Outdoor Group (EOG). On the panel, we will be joined by some of the greatest minds in the industry including; Jørgen Jørgensen – CEO of Norrona, Matt Gowar – CEO of Equip, Henrik Hoffman – CEO of Naturkompaniet and Thomas Rouault – CEO of Snowleader.

Hosted and moderated by our Commercial Director Vicky Stickland, Vicky will be asking the panel the hard questions that the industry is currently seeking answers to. Exploring one of the most integral relationships that underpins our industry; the love triangle that is the relationship between brand, retailer and consumer.

“The relationship between brand, retailer and consumer has changed more in the last five years than it has in the last five hundred years…”

While there is still a very valid and necessary place for the traditional brand > distributor > retailer > consumer model, the Internet has revolutionised how, when and where brands sell their products and who they sell those products to.

The role of the brand has changed dramatically over the last five years with many brands now selling direct and essentially becoming retailers themselves. Many bricks & mortar retailers also now have a large online presence or are standalone e-tailers with a geographic reach that they would have never previously believed possible. The outdoor market has never been more competitive.

Two seasons have become four and the shelf life of many products has been halved resulting in over-distribution, over-stocking and early discounting. Strategic timing, placing and pricing has never been more critical. There has been a lot of change and things are still changing quickly. Given these changes, the aim of our panel discussion is to look at the new relationships between brand, retailer and consumer. This panel will aim to:

• Discuss the challenges that the new retail dynamic has created for both brands and retailers.• Explore the strategies that both brands and retailers can employ so that we can all benefit from the new dynamic.• Define what the new ‘best practice’ is for brand distribution within the outdoor industry.

For more information on the panel discussion, head on over to the OutDoor website or email oliver@brandwavemarketing.com. Although the panel discussion will be public, we would strongly encourage you to register via this link.

“Naturally, it’s a huge honour to be invited to host this panel discussion by the team at OutDoor and the EOG. Trends and products vary from season to season however a hotbed of conversation always remains around this relationship so it’ll be very interesting to open this up to the panel and the floor. For those of you able to attend, I look forward to welcoming you next week”

We will be at OutDoor for the duration of this year’s show so if you would like to arrange a meeting to discuss your marketing, please email Oliver via the above email address. We hope to see you there!